C Spire—the nations largest private cell phone carrier—will be carrying the iPhone 4S “in the coming weeks” according to their website.

Poor T-Mobile.

C Spire is a regional carrier that operates a CDMA network à la Verizon and Sprint in Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle, Parts of Alabama, and the Memphis metropolitan area. They have approximately 900,000 customers, a paltry number when compared to T-Mobile’s 33 million plus customer base.

The news is a gut-check to T-Mobile—who has been open to carrying the iPhone— especially now that they're the only major carrier in the United States without the iPhone. The reasons though most likely revolve around the wireless technology used to power T-Mobile’s 3G network. C Spire’s CDMA network shares the same 3G technology as Verizon and Sprint, whereas T-Mobile’s GSM 3G network differs from AT&T’s. So much so, that unlocked iPhones can only operate using T-Mobiles 2G frequencies.

Still, the fact T-Mobile has been left in the cold without an official iPhone on its network for this long doesn't bode well for the carrier or Apple for that matter. For a long time it was been assumed T-Mobile would eventually get the iPhone, and those assumptions were even greater when AT&T started the proposed acquisition of the company, but with the DOJ and FCC preventing the acquisition the future of the iPhone on T-Mobile is now in question more than ever.

I am actually dreading the day that T-Mobile officially gets the iPhone 4. My entire family has T-Mobile and the majority of us have iPhones. T-Mobile will likely force us into data plans the day they get the iPhone officially. As of now, they let you do whatever you want. Most of us have the $9.99 data plan (even though it's only edge) but two of us don't have any internet plan at all and only use WiFi. I wouldn't be able to afford the iPhone with a $30 internet plan each month.

I noticed this yesterday: If you look at the iOS5 CDMA iPhone 4 file system contents (at least in the GM), there was a ready-made C Spire bundle along with a Sprint bundle and two VZW bundles. Apple had this ready for a while. I'm just surprised they didn't make the announcement during the initial iPhone event.

This is getting more interesting by the minute. if by some chance Metro/Cricket get the iPhone, T-Mobile's numbered days will shorten exponentially.

ah so C-spire is Cellular South with a different name? I'm near the Memphis area and have seen the billboards all over, and I wondered if it was some new company or something. LOL my wife and I both think the billboards showing the cupped hands looks kind of like a person's butt from a distance and quick glance.

It doesn't make sense to give T-Mobile their own iPhone right now because of the proposed AT&T takeover. If AT&T ends up with T-Mobile, then there is no need for a different iPhone - just sell the customers the current model. If AT&T doesn't end up with T-Mobile, by the time the dust settles there will likely be an LTE iPhone which will work on T-Mobile and it would be pointless to make a 3G version just for them.

Apple will probably give tmobile the next iphonewhen their at&t aquisition is cancelled if it does get cancelled. Otherwise, there will be no tmobile when at&t aquisition is done and apple would have wasted time making separate phones for tmobile and at&t

Apple will probably give tmobile the next iphonewhen their at&t aquisition is cancelled if it does get cancelled. Otherwise, there will be no tmobile when at&t aquisition is done and apple would have wasted time making separate phones for tmobile and at&t